OmoroShoot briefRoll 033Ser.05
Normcore aesthetic photography reference
RecTC 00:00:00:00

Normcore

The radical act of being completely unremarkable: default settings, and proud of it

Roll 0335 frames0 / 5 shot
Frames00/05
normcore
SET

The setup

Shoot briefHD[normcore      ]00:00:00:00Stop ■
Brief Int(normcore____.BRF)

Normcore

01 LightWhatever is available and if nothing is available, add a bare LED panel and accept the flat, unmodeled result; normcore actively resists the effort that good lighting represents
02 WardrobeNew Balance 990s, plain white or grey t-shirt, straight-leg jeans or chinos, a fleece; the wardrobe is a catalogue spread for a brand that makes no claims about identity
03 LocationChain coffee shop
04 Palette
DIR

Director's note

Give no creative direction tell the subject to stand where they feel comfortable, look where they want to look, and do nothing with their hands; the normcore aesthetic is produced by the absence of direction, and every directorial intervention undermines it

All 151 director’s notes, printable: Director’s Briefs, $8 →
VF

Viewfinder

Live

Four controls on the brief's own plate · the meter is real, so you can blow a frame

Normcore reference frame
Standby50mmf/5.6 · 1/125 · ISO 400

Running the list sets the camera for every shot in turn. Load your own photo to light and expose a frame you actually shot.

LGT

Light the set

3 lamps

Drag a lamp and watch the frame above change. The brief's own note is the preset

KeyThe light that makes the pictureSoft, farEye level
FillHow far into shadow you can seeHard, closeEye level
BackRound at the front, where it is just another fillOffEye level
On the brief
CS

Contact sheet

00 / 12

Nothing on the sheet yet. Set the camera, then take a frame.

SEQ

Shot list

00 / 05

Tap a pad to mark the frame shot · saved on this device

Portrait against a grey wall wearing a grey t-shirt and jeans, the composition itself deliberately mediocreportrait85mm
Environmental shot in a chain coffee shop or fast-food restaurant, the subject consuming it without ironyenvironment35mm
Full-body shot in a shopping mall, surrounded by chain store branding, the subject blending insetup50mm
Portrait with deliberately imperfect composition subject not centered, slightly out of focus, slightly wrong exposureportrait85mmsoft focus
Group shot of multiple subjects where everyone is dressed identically in plain, functional clothingsetup50mm
Rolling
Take it to set: all 151 briefs as one PDF · $8
LOC

Locations

04
Chain coffee shopShopping mall food courtSuburban car parkAirport gate waiting area
REF

Explore the aesthetic

Part of the Trust & Reliability mood, alongside Swiss / International and Blueprint. Began in the 2010s, on the style timeline.

Style guideColor palette
DOC

About this brief

How do I photograph the Normcore aesthetic?

The radical act of being completely unremarkable: default settings, and proud of it.

Give no creative direction tell the subject to stand where they feel comfortable, look where they want to look, and do nothing with their hands; the normcore aesthetic is produced by the absence of direction, and every directorial intervention undermines it

Director's note

What shots should I get for a Normcore photo shoot?

Leave with every frame on this list.

Shot list

  1. Portrait against a grey wall wearing a grey t-shirt and jeans, the composition itself deliberately mediocre
  2. Environmental shot in a chain coffee shop or fast-food restaurant, the subject consuming it without irony
  3. Full-body shot in a shopping mall, surrounded by chain store branding, the subject blending in
  4. Portrait with deliberately imperfect composition subject not centered, slightly out of focus, slightly wrong exposure
  5. Group shot of multiple subjects where everyone is dressed identically in plain, functional clothing
What lighting works for Normcore photography?

Whatever is available and if nothing is available, add a bare LED panel and accept the flat, unmodeled result; normcore actively resists the effort that good lighting represents

Light

Where should I shoot Normcore photography?

Scout these before anything else.

Locations

  1. Chain coffee shop
  2. Shopping mall food court
  3. Suburban car park
  4. Airport gate waiting area
What wardrobe works for Normcore photography?

New Balance 990s, plain white or grey t-shirt, straight-leg jeans or chinos, a fleece; the wardrobe is a catalogue spread for a brand that makes no claims about identity

Wardrobe

Omoro Studio · Creative System

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